Rainbow Kitten Surprise

North Carolina indie folk-rock outfit Rainbow Kitten Surprise evolved from college dorm-room jam sessions to playing festival main stages during the mid-2010s. They got their playful name when a friend suggested it—under the influence of anesthesia during a hospital visit. In 2014, Rainbow Kitten Surprise was voted into the final 24 on the music competition series Make a Band Famous. That year, they attended Bonnaroo as fans—a festival they’d be playing just three years later. Lead singer Ela Melo made a statement by coming out via their anthemic 2018 track “Hide,” which was accompanied by a music video that chronicled the lives of New Orleans drag queens. The song came from the band's diverse third album, How To: Friend, Love, Freefall, which also featured “Fever Pitch,” one of NPR Music’s 35 Favorite Songs of 2018. After immortalizing their electrifying live show on 2021’s RKS! Live From Athens Georgia, the band released their fourth LP, 2024’s Love Hate Music Box, which featured Kasey Musgraves on the track “Overtime."